


Misdirection

by dagas isa (dagas_isa)



Series: Rip Off the Masks [1]
Category: BOSS (TV), Liar Game
Genre: Canon - Japanese Drama, Challenge: A Ficathon Walks Into A Bar, Crossover, Gen, Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-21
Updated: 2010-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 19:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dagas_isa/pseuds/dagas%20isa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kanzaki Nao has an established reputation for being foolishly honest. It's Hanagata's job to figure out whether she's been living up to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misdirection

"We have a case," Osawa pronounces to the room.

"Another serial killer?" Kimoto lies sprawled across the table, ready to take a nap.

"Explosives?" Yamamura seems more interested in contemplating the hair of a dandelion.

"Kidnapping?" Iwai seems more interested in contemplating Nodate.

"Trashcan fires?" Katagiri seems less interested—though more alert—than Kimoto.

As for Hanagata, he's always ready, from the most dire of serial killers to the alleged dognappings going on at the nearby park. "I'm always up for anything!"

Osawa points to the board. "Swindling. Apparently, there was a conspiracy of some sort against the LGT Corporation, and our job is to get to the bottom of it. These are our primary suspects, but our job is to figure out how deep the conspiracy goes." Three photos are pasted at the top. A mugshot of a man with shaggy hair and some of the largest dark circles under his eyes that Hanagata has ever seen, a photo of a woman with long blonde hair, and to the right, a picture of a young woman, who seems vaguely familiar to Hanagata.

"That girl on the right looks like Mami-chan," Nodate observes, "hard to believe a cutie like her could be in on such a huge scam. Kanzaki Nao, huh?"

Kimoto yawns. "I don't see the resemblance."

"According to the department's contact with the corporation, she and this man—Akiyama Shinichi—were the head conspirators, with the others acting under their direction. The other woman, Fukunaga Yuuji, is their head accomplice," Osawa continues the brief. "Akiyama Shinichi is a convicted con-artist, who was responsible for the bankruptcy of one corporation already. The other two don't have a history with the police.

Hanagata raises his hand. "Actually, Kanzaki does have a history with the police booth in Katsuhika. She used to turn in 100 yen coins that she found dropped on the sidewalk. We used to joke that we got our afternoon drinks courtesy of her finds."

"Fine, then, Hanagata, you see about talking to Kanzaki Nao, see what she knows about this case."

"Of course!"

\--

Kanzaki Nao walks into a café. It's not a coincidence that Hanagata waits for her. He's observed her for the past few days as she's attended school, visited someone in a hospice, went home, and generally lived the life of a normal, if somewhat isolated, eighteen-year-old girl, which is why he knew that she would be eating her lunch at this small café near the women's college she attends.

If it weren't for the fact that she was a prime suspect in a conspiracy to swindle billions of yen from a large corporation, Hanagata would have said, based on his observation of her, that she hadn't changed a bit from her high-school days.

"I think you gave me 10 yen too much," he overhears her say. Eighteen months ago, when Kanzaki was just an ordinary high-school student who came by at least once every other week, Hanagata would have said she was completely in character. Now though, he wonders. Ten yen probably isn't even enough to be dishonest about if she's already swindled billions from a large corporation.

She sits down at her usual table, two over from Hanagata's observation perch.

Hanagata approaches her. "Mind if I sit down?"

She smiles. "Not at all. Kanzaki Nao. First year student, Konan Women's College."

"Hanagata Ippei. Metropolitan Police, Division One, Countermeasures Unit."

"That's pretty elite, right?"

"Oh yes, we're very elite." Hanagata Ippei does exaggerate a little bit. His boss is probably the biggest shot in the entire police department, but he does have a vague sense that 'elite' probably wouldn't be the word used by the rest of the department. "Public Relations suckers" or "the department that puts on the public service skits" would be more accurate. Though perhaps even saying that would be a good move and draw suspicion away from the fact that he's investigating her for fraud.

Nao leans in and observes him. "You look familiar…have we met before?"

"I used to be assigned to the police booth in Katsuhika."

"Oh!" Kanzaki's eyes widen in recognition. "We used to live in that area when I was in high school. So you were one of the officers in the police box, right?"

"Well, just for a little bit. You always turned in the coins that people had misplaced."

"Oh, right! I was wondering where I'd seen you before." She smiles, "did the coins ever get back to their original owners?"

If said owner was the vending machine two blocks down, Hanagata guessed he could say yes. There was a reason she had become known as the goddess and purveyor of free drinks. In fact…"We did the best we could, Kanzaki-san." Once or twice, when he was very new, he did chase down a few kids and give them one of the coins she turned in, just to be nice.

"That's good to hear."

"So what're you doing now, Kanzaki-san?"

"Just school stuff and looking after my father. I guess I'm not all that exciting, huh?"

"No other activities?"

Kanzaki looks troubled. "You say you're with the police, right?" She fiddles with the silver ring she wears around her left-hand middle finger. "There has been something recently that's been concerning me. Maybe you can help. It's not something that I'm sure should be brought up officially, but…"

Kanzaki reaches into her bag and pulls out a folder. Glossy black cards fall out of them. "This is the first one I received, back in April of last year. My invitation into the Liar Game tournament."

"Steal a hundred million yen from your opponent?" Hanagata stares at it, "but it's not considered stealing? The corporation can't just decide that. How do they even manage to come up with the money in the first place?"

"Shh! I know it's kind of hard to believe, but it's all true. I've been tied up in this for over a year now."

"Why haven't you been to the police?"

"I tried at the start, but they said that I couldn't just turn in the money because it hadn't been lost or stolen. And after the first game it becomes a more difficult situation. I really wouldn't bring it up, but we know each other from the police box. Please take care of this, Officer Hanagata."

Hanagata focuses on the pile of glossy black cards that she handed to him. He honestly has no clue what to make of a corporation that purposefully pushes regular, honest people into deceiving each other in order to maintain a debt. But then, he recalls that Kanzaki herself is under investigation for fraud against the same corporation. "I'll look into it, Kanzaki-san."

Kanzaki gives a slight smile and slides forward in her chair. "Thank goodness you believed me, Officer Hanagata."

"Of course, I would!" Hanagata tries to give her the widest smile he can. "We're police box buddies aren't we?"

"I guess we are…"

Hanagata jumps up from his chair. "I should get to the station and get started."

"Thank you!"

Hanagata leaves the café with an uneasy feeling in his stomach and without a clue of whether Kanzaki has continued to act according to her foolishly honest nature.

\--

Nao watches Hanagata as he leaves the café, and once he's safely out of sight, takes out her cell-phone and makes a call.

"Fukunaga-san, you were right. It turns out the guy who's been stalking me these past few days is with the police."

"Are they on to us?"

"He didn't say anything one way or another. I gave him the invitations though. He should spend a few days looking into that and seeing what the corporation is really up to."

"Nao, you're really naïve, just handing over evidence like that."

"I did exactly what we planned to do. And I knew the cop from before. He might trust me."

"And I might end up moving to Jupiter. Please just tell me you didn't name any names."

"No. I didn't say anything about you or Akiyama-san. By the way, how's it coming with your tail?"

Fukunaga gives a soft chuckle over the phone. "Let's just say the old man got a little indisposed last night. I almost feel bad leaving him the bill for all those drinks. Don't worry about this Nao. All you have to do is avoid doing something monumentally ridiculous, and we'll all be fine."

Despite herself, Nao smiles. Fukunaga can be reassuring in her own way. "Yes. Thank you, Fukunaga-san."

Nao makes a resolution as she hangs up. One way or another, they'll get through this.


End file.
